New Year Financial Planning

Another new year is upon us. Have you listed down your New Year’s resolutions? If you haven’t, here are some ideas:

Be healthy

Nothing is more important than your health, not even your work. Join a gym, start cycling, go for a walk – anything that interests you – and continue doing it till you’ve achieved your goal!

Be happy

No matter what you’re doing in life, don’t forget to be happy and content. If your job doesn’t make you happy or if you’re in a bad relationship, quit and make happiness your top priority.

Plan your finances

Being financially sound is everyone’s goal but it requires the much-dreaded financial planning. Get to it ASAP! Do your own research or get in touch with your financial advisor to figure out what works best for you. Make good use of the internet and browse through websites and articles that help you narrow down on your financial goals.

Hope for the best!

Welcome the New Year with cheer and joy. Don’t burden yourself with unnecessary stress and expectations. Go with the flow and hope for the best!

What investment options are best for you totally depends on what outcome you expect and how soon. Do you need long-term options or short-term? How much can you invest? How soon do you want a profit? If you’re looking to maximise your returns quickly, here are some great short-term investment options:

Bank fixed deposits

Savings account

Money market accounts

Gold or silver

Short-term debt funds

Large-cap mutual funds

The tenure for each of these options varies. When it comes to risk, all the above-mentioned options are low-risk, except large-cap mutual funds.

Dividend stocks are a good option for people looking for a regular source of income. Although the profits are lower compared to stocks that don’t offer dividends, getting regular dividends every month is what attracts most investors. But choosing stocks that offer dividends is not a simple task. Learn how choosing high-dividend-paying stocks should be one of your portfolio diversification strategies.

Fixed deposits are preferred by many because they are a safe option, but apart from that, they don’t offer a lot. So this New Year, think beyond the obvious investment options. Here are some you could consider:

Physical assets

Real estate

Gold

Commodities

Note: In FY 2016, Gold was the most popular choice of investment, followed by real estate

Financial income alternatives

Small Savings Scheme

Tax-free bonds

Debt MFs

Liquid MFs

FMPs

ULIPs

Equity-linked

Equities

Equity ETFs

Equity MFs

To help you decide on the best option, you should definitely have a look at the latest investment trends of the past few years.

First, understand how affiliate marketing works. You get money (a cut) for selling someone else’s products on your website. The amount of money you get will depend on the number of products you sell and how much the seller is willing to give you.

Let’s assume you partner with Amazon and list its products on your website and link back to Amazon. When users come to your website and click on this link and make a purchase on Amazon, you get an affiliate commission.

Keep in mind that affiliate marketing takes time, mainly because you must drive a huge chunk of quality traffic to your website; only when visitors make a purchase will you earn money. Do also consider other options that can be additional sources of income.

There’s no denying that the internet has changed the way we live our lives, so why not use the internet to start a business? Here are some money-making options you can consider:

Start a blog – Blogging continues to be one of the best ways to make money online. You can build and launch a blog in just a few hours.

Become a freelancer – Find something you’re great at and look for freelancing options in that field. There are so many people on the internet looking for freelance marketers, designers, and writers. Freelancing requires little or no investment and you can make money from your very first gig.

Become a social media influencer – Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook… if you love being in front of the camera, creating content for these social media giants is a great way to turn a hobby into a source of revenue.

Capitalise on web domains – Buying a domain name is easy, but buying a name that has potential in the future is where the money lies. Identify domain names that other businesses would need in future, and make money by selling them.

Get into affiliate marketing – Tie up with marketplaces such as Amazon, Paytm Mall, etc. and every time a consumer buys a product via your link, the marketplace gives you an affiliate commission.